Oklahoma City home inspection: Freezing weather tips

In part one of this series I discussed that when completing an Oklahoma City home inspection I see many things to be concerned about. One of the main things, with current temperatures, is frozen pipes that are prone to bursting. This can damage the inside and outside of your home. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety provided information that explains the true dangers of frozen pipes. In part two of this series I will show you a few more reasons why frozen pipes can be dangerous and explain to you a few more ways that you can prepare your home to prevent them. As mentioned previously, I am an Oklahoma City home inspection expert and I feel obliged to keep you knowledgeable.

Oklahoma City home inspection warning: Why frozen pipes are dangerous.

1.) A busted pipe can cost you well over $5,000 worth of water damage.
2.) 250 gallons of water can leak out from a crack that is as small as an eight of an inch.

Oklahoma City home inspection tip: What you can do to prevent frozen pipes.

There are things you should do to the interior and exterior of your home to prevent frozen pipes. The first thing you should do is disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets. Also, wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls. Additionally, if you insulate the outside walls and unheated areas of your home, you will be providing a “coat” for you home.

Oklahoma City home inspection bonus tip:

If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off the water supply valves to your washing machine.

About me:
I’m Jan Banks of Inside Out Home Inspection Services. I do Oklahoma City home inspections in the metro to include a 50 mile radius. I am dedicated to serving all customer inspection needs across this greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area. I have over 20 years experience in the construction industry as an estimator, job superintendent and a licensed General Contractor.

Oklahoma City home inspection: Freezing weather tips

When completing an Oklahoma City home inspection I see a great deal of issues. You may not have time to stop and think about home safety-related things, but the dangers of frozen pipes are real and should be noted. With these recent temperatures being below freezing, it is possible that your home’s pipes could get frozen. The damage that frozen pipes can do to your home is chilling. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has a few startling statics about frozen pipes being one of the biggest risks of property damage when the temperature drops. In part one of this series I will show you a few reasons why frozen pipes can be dangerous and explain to you how you can prepare the inside of your home to prevent them. As your Oklahoma City home inspection expert, I feel obliged to keep you in the know.

Oklahoma City home inspection warning: Why frozen pipes are dangerous.

1.) The frozen pipe failures that occur in a basement comes to about 37%.
2.) A frozen pipe can lead to it bursting.

Oklahoma City home inspection tip: What you can do to prevent frozen pipes.

You can prevent your pipes from freezing by doing a number of things on the inside of your home. If you keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you’re leaving the house for an extended period of time, this will help out tremendously. Additionally, opening cabinet doors below sinks will allow heat from the home to circulate. It is also important to close all windows near water pipes and cover or close open-air vents. This is significant, because freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently. Finally, if you have a basement, heat it and consider weather sealing your windows.

Oklahoma City home inspection bonus tip:

You should identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater, because learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.

About me:

I’m Jan Banks of Inside Out Home Inspection Services. I do Oklahoma City home inspections in the metro to include a 50 mile radius. I am dedicated to serving all customer inspection needs across this greater Oklahoma City metropolitan area. I have over 20 years experience in the construction industry as an estimator, job superintendent and a licensed General Contractor.